Tortured Soul
by Wildly Obsessed
Summary: Draco's been hiding under sneers and cruelty his entire life. No one, not even himself, knows who he really is. When a girl comes into his life and challenges all the things he once believed, how will he react?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'm revamping this story because I have so many ideas for plots but my last beginning just stuck me into a rut so I'm trying again.

* * *

Draco was perched on a windowsill, staring out into the eerily beautiful garden his mother had once loved. He wasn't alone in his house but he may as well have been. The last few weeks had not been good for Draco Malfoy. It was the beginning of his sixth year at Hogwarts and it was promising to be the worst. He had experienced a painful summer. The Ministry of Magic had finally caught on to the return of He Who Must Not Be Named and had finally started rounding up the Death Eaters Harry Potter had pointed his fingers at a year ago. Lucius, Draco's father, was and always had been a proud Death Eater. A fat load of good it had done him, the elder Malfoy was now stewing away in prison somewhere- not Azkaban, mind you, as Fudge had concluded that the dementors weren't to be trusted. Lucius's arrest had crumbled the Malfoy family. Narcissa was a loving wife and had been devastated by the blow, retreating inside herself in her grief and distancing herself from everyone, especially her son. Draco was thrust suddenly into the bitterness of what their reality truly was. The blasted Ministry had paid him and Narcissa a visit, they had searched and emptied their house of anything that could possible be used in an unfavourable way- leaving the house much more bare. His father had made a grave mistake, a mistake that had not only succeeded in landing him a spot in a new prison but also on the Pissed List of Voldemort, which did not bode well for the remaining Malfoys. 

Draco glanced up at a clock on his wall and sighed. The evening was nearly over and tomorrow was September the first and he'd be at Hogwarts once more. On the one side, at least he wouldn't be stuck in this stifling house any longer. On the other, Draco was concerned for his mother. She was a strong woman and always had been but the cold hollowness that had been palpable in her eyes since the moment Lucius had been taken away seriously chilled Draco. She hadn't spoken much all summer and he wasn't keen on leaving her in this house alone for ten months. Of course, some of the other Death Eaters would probably drop in now and then, after all Bellatrix _was_ her sister, but nonetheless Draco very much wanted to keep a watch on her himself.

A rapping on the front door caused a crease to form on Draco's forehead. The noise echoed around every corner of the house. Shifting his position a bit, Draco could see that there was a group of people huddled around his door. They didn't look like Ministry officials. When a second knock impatiently rang through, Draco reluctantly stood up. His mother would not be getting that, and the visitors would not be ignored. With a sinking feeling in his chest, Draco strode down stairs and into the foyer. He had been expecting Death Eaters to pay them a visit for a while now... Saying a silent prayer that he was just being paranoid, Draco slowly put his hand on the knob. It was nearly midnight, who else would be calling? The only thing he could do was hope that Voldemort had not decided to come; if he was there this definitely would not be a check-up to see how Narcissa was doing. Draco had been staring at the knob for a few seconds now. It really couldn't be delayed much longer... A third, very loud banging on the door caused the boy to wince. Draco berated himself for taking so long and being so pathetic and opened the heavy oak door.

"Hope we didn't wake you, Draco." a woman said rather nastily, lowering her hood to reveal the face of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Come in." Draco told the group around his doorstep, moving aside to make room for the cloaked people and choosing to ignore his Aunt.

"Don't stand there looking like a gold fish, come on, let's take a seat. This could well take a while." Dolohov impatiently stated, brushing past Draco rudely and settling on the deep green couch that lay in the adjoining room. His words made the feeling of doom in Draco's stomach increase but he followed, keeping his face as neutral as possible.

"What did you come for?" Draco asked, a redundant question, hoping his guess was wrong. He counted four Death Eaters.

"Your daddy left us a Death Eater short," Bellatrix grinned, "And he did not do his job properly in June." Biting back the retort that was fighting to escape his mouth, Draco merely inclined his head in agreement.

"Now, the Dark Lord knows that this is not the fault of either you, Draco, nor is it Narcissa's doing." Rodolphus continued, examining his wand rather cheerfully.

"He does?" Draco blinked, a bit of relief seeping into him. Voldemort wasn't angry with them?

"Of course he does, the Dark Lord is not unreasonable," Rodolphus said sharply.

"But the Lord thinks it would be beneficial for your father if you perhaps helped us a bit. Perhaps easing a bit of the debt your father seems to have fallen into. He is offering a great gift." Rodolphus said. "He trusts you enough, acknowledges your talent enough, to offer you something no other has been offered so young."

"He wishes you to join our ranks." Dolohov finished. "You have witnessed much of our activities and the Dark Lord thought you might as well become fully integrated."

"Yes, young Malfoy, you have so far been treading on the right path. You've impressed us. At such a young age, you've proved yourself worthy." Bellatrix smiled with a laugh.

"Draco, do you wish to make up for your father's blunder? Do you wish to join the side of power, the side that can offer you anything you desire? Will you agree to becoming a Death Eater?" the cool voice of the fourth person spoke. Draco had completely forgotten he was there. It wasn't a Death Eater who had spoken. Draco knew it, knew it in the depths of his soul, this was Voldemort addressing him directly.

"My Lord, please, no!" a wild voice broke out. Turning around, Draco saw in surprise that it was his mother who had spoken. Narcissa strode up and placed her hands firmly on Draco's shoulders. Seeing as though she hadn't touched him in two months this gesture shocked Draco.

"Ah. Joining us at last, Narcissa?" Voldemort's mouth twisted into what could be called a smile. "This is a mighty gift, not a punishment, why are you protesting? Unless you think entering into my ranks would not be the safest, wisest, place to be. Unless you believe my judgment is flawed, that I do not know what is best?"

"No! No, my Lord, it isn't that, I would trust you with my life, but my son is just so young- he's only sixteen, not even of age, he would not be of much use to you." Narcissa quickly exclaimed, giving Draco a tight squeeze, warning him not to protest.

"I would find uses." Voldemort answered, a cruel glint appearing in his scarlet eyes. Malfoy's hand twitched involuntarily.

"Sir, my Lord-" Draco began.

His mother dug her nails into his shoulders, hissing, "Do not interrupt him you foolish boy!"

"I was finished, Narcissa. Let the boy speak for himself." severely snapped Voldemort.

"I-I am sorry my Lord." she squeaked, looking frightened. "Don't be a fool." she quietly muttered in her son's ear.

"Sir," Draco began again, "I will be returning to Dumbledore's school, Hogwarts, in less than twelve hours, I do not believe it wise to arrive with your mark on my arm, people would surely notice, and isn't secrecy important?"

"Why you slimly little wuss-" Rodolphus growled.

"Silence. The boy has a good point. Perhaps I should hold back on implanting him with mark just yet." Voldemort interrupted. "Though I still think you could be of great use to me, even if you aren't an official Death Eater. Will you agree to aid me while you are in that school?"

"How, my Lord, will I be able to help you with Dumbledore always there?" Draco reverently questioned.

"You can keep a watch on Potter, and on Dumbledore, report back to me. That doesn't seem like such a dangerous task, does it Malfoy? Or are you too cowardly even for that much?" Voldemort coldly said. "Further instructions will follow."

"Sir-" Draco started.

"Yes? Are you going to weasel out of this, as well? If you are scared I can gladly end that fear right now." Voldemort was losing his patience.

"No, I mean, whatever you wish me to do, My Lord." Draco murmured.

"Good. I trust you will find a suitable way to contact me without detection?" Voldemort said briskly. "I don't see how you could possibly make a blunder but if you don't happen to do as you said I will not happy. Come." He gestured carelessly to the others and the group strode to the door. He gave one last look at Narcissa and tutted, "Do try to look like you trust me a little more, this isn't a dangerous task. I am not condemning him to the fate you fear, if anything happens to him then sadly you have raised a very incompetent wizard. I'm sure we will meet again soon, Narcissa." And the lot of them apparated off.


	2. Chapter 2

Stepping foot onto the Hogwarts Express the next morning filled Draco with immense relief. He'd be away from the Death Eaters, away from his father and the Dark Lord. Hogwarts had never harmed him, never given him reason to be scared, and he was never more thrilled to be returning. He would be safe there… Yeah, except for the fact that he was supposed to be spying on the Headmaster and Potter and giving regular reports to their enemy, the evilest foulest most terrifying wizard to walk the earth. How safe was he going to be staying in a place where he was betraying the most important people in it! _A great deal safer than I would be at home with Death Eaters popping up every two days…_ Draco thought, unable to hide a smile from showing on his features as he blended in with his peers, his flock, his safety. No matter what Draco did, he was confident in the fact that understanding, patient, compassionate Dumbledore would not hurt hum. As for the person whom he was to be serving…now that was an entirely different matter. Wishing a bit that he wasn't working for someone who would thoroughly enjoy killing him, Draco continued walking. As soon as the thoughts flitted through his mind he felt a pang of fear grip him. He must not think like that, the Dark Lord had ways of finding and weeding out people who thought like that…

"Malfoy, hi!" Pansy skipped up to him and nearly knocked him over with a huge hug. "I missed you!"

"Hi, Pansy." Draco patted her back but pushed her off.

"Crabbe hasn't come yet but I think Goyle already saved us all a compartment," she continued, oblivious to the fact that she had just been snubbed.

"Right. You go on, then." Draco said, giving her a little push.

"Aren't you coming?" she pouted.

"Later." He muttered in a non-committal fashion. He had to shake his head as she slid away. Pansy and him had a sort of Friends with benefits thing going on… Well, really, just benefits. Sometimes he wondered if the girl understood what that meant, he had caught her giggling before about how they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Oh well. It was nothing like good old Pansy Parkinson to get him fully immersed in Hogwarts again. He would be at Hogwarts for a full year… Voldemort wouldn't be able to get him at all… He wouldn't even be able to contact Draco if Draco chose not to initiate it… But of course, then there was summer. Two months that spelled his end if he didn't do what Voldemort wanted. And a horrifying thought struck him. His mother was still at home, twenty four seven. If he disobeyed there was no question who would pay the immediate consequences.

"Are you going to move anytime soon or am I going to have to run you over with my luggage bag?" a disgruntled and familiar voice demanded. Glancing behind him, Draco was face to face with the Gryffindor trio- Ronald Weasly (hack, hack Weasel-bee), Hermione Granger (cough Mudblood), and of course the famous Harry Potter, or as Draco fondly preferred, Scar face.

"Move, Malfoy." Ron rolled his eyes.

"Bad moods this morning." Draco commented. "Eh. You know, I really was hoping that you three would have dropped out this year, or at the very least I didn't think Weasel-bee would make it this far. You don't have much behind that red hair of yours, and another two years of schooling won't change that so why don't you try to save up money for you family? Though I guess it's not as strained anymore since Pruny disowned you all for Fudge."

Ron looked murderous and for the umpteenth time, Harry was forced to hold him back. "My, my, you do get insulted easily don't you?"

"They really ought to lock you up with your dad." Hermione hissed. "As if you aren't in league with what he did."

"Yeah, probably got that mark tattooed to your arm when you were born," Ron snapped. Draco shrugged back his sleeve and waved his completely clean and unblemished forearm in their faces.

"Is the Dark Mark invisible, then?" he sneered. "I'm innocent, kiddies. But you-"

"Butwe what?" Hermione raised her eyebrows, as Draco had stopped speaking and was staring out the window with a look of fear splashed across his features. "What are you staring at you git-"

Draco shuddered. He had seen a flash of Bellatrix Lestrange, smiling evilly at him behind the same cloak she always wore. She had apparated and disapparated so quickly no one else noticed. He took her smile and the slight wagging of her finger as the sign that yes, they would be keeping tabs on him, and yes, they would know if he wasn't doing what he was supposed to.

"Malfoy?" Harry frowned.

Draco didn't reply but merely gulped and slipped past the trio.

"Someone's acting weirder than usual." Ron looked after Draco in bemusement.

"Did you see the colour drain out of his face?" Hermione sounded suspicious. "What spooked him?"

Harry shrugged, his frown becoming more pronounced as he saw the Slytherin student stumble slightly and shove a few third years across the train.

* * *

"A-and h-he just p-pushed me off his lap and said he didn't want to s-see my face a-again!" Pansy Parkinson was sobbing uncontrollably as the Hogwarts students filed out of the train.

Draco ignored the wails and stonily walked on with Crabbe and Goyle. He had pushed her off of him an hour ago and she was still crying. Clingy, much? He just felt an overwhelming need to get away from the source of the high pitched squeal that had become characteristic of Parkinson, she wouldn't give him one moment of silence since he returned to the compartment she had saved. Weaving a bit closer to the middle of the pack of students with his bulky body guards, Pansy's voice soon became lost in the chatter of the students. Glancing at her tear-streaked face once more, Draco felt only the slightest twinge of guilt. He supposed he could have been a bit more gentle but the girl had known him for five years, you would have thought that she would actually know him by now. He didn't have time for any twittering girl following him around, any ways. This year was different than the others, much as he wished it wasn't.

* * *

"Finally got tired of his groupie, has he?" Harry blinked, his ear drums aching from the shrieks, as he walked alongside his friends.

"You should have seen how quiet he was in the Prefects compartment. Didn't say a word to anyone," Hermione whispered.

"Like that's a bad thing." Ron rolled his eyes.

"You've got to feel some sympathy for him… his father did get thrown into prison…and I heard the only time his mom left his house all summer was to escort him to the train station." Hermione said.

"His father was a Death Eater, he deserved to get thrown it!" Ron exclaimed indignantly.

"I know, I know, but just because his father deserved what he got doesn't mean Malfoy and his mum did." She shrugged.

"You and I both know Malfoy's as bad as his dad! I can't believe you're feeling sorry for Malfoy-" Ron shook his head angrily.

"Just because I can have sympathy for people whom I don't like-" Hermione snapped.

"He's been the person who has caused us hell for five years and you-you" Ron exasperatedly ranted. "Honestly, SPEW and Kreacher is one thing, Malfoy should be made a House elf, he's such a git, you're way too soft, next thing you know you'll be saying how You-Know-Who is such a poor unfortunate person who didn't deserve to get wiped out and nearly killed-"

Upon realizing that yet another row was upon him, Harry quickly muttered that he'd catch up with them at the feast and darted ahead to catch a ride with Neville, Luna, and Seamus on the carriages, leaving the two to have their first ever arguement about Draco Malfoy.

* * *

"So do you reckon Pansy's upset?" Goyle guffawed.

"The look on her face…" Crabbe laughed.

"Do you think she'll ever drop it?" Draco rolled his eyes.

"You were the love of her life," Goyle grinned. "Who are you going to go out with next, then, now that you're single again?"

"Not you, if that's what you're asking." Malfoy couldn't help but snap. "Now shut up for once, you oafs are giving me a head ache." They settled into a carriage themselves. "-Try it and I'll you a detention and I'll hex you to go along with it." Draco warned moodily as a younger boy tried to grab a seat next to Malfoy.

"What's with you, Malfoy?" Goyle asked as the boy gave a scared yelp and scuttled away. "You seem to be pretty sour lately."

"All of our fathers got thrown into prison, you seem a bit too cheery if you're asking me." Draco retorted. "And didn't I tell you to shut up?"

The other two boys quickly closed their mouths, but not before exchanging looks.

A few minutes passed and Goyle couldn't help himself. "Malfoy..."

"What?" he sighed, not removing his gaze from his lap.

"Well, this might cheer you up- I heard there's a new girl this year-" Goyle tentatively continued.

"No, really? You think so? There are only a new batch of first year girls every bloody year I can't imagine how you knew there would be one new one." Malfoy snorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"That's not what I was talking about-" Goyle said reproachfully. "No, this year there's a girl entering Hogwarts for the first time who is going into fifth year."

"The school doesn't do that, does it?" Malfoy frowned.

"They're doing it this year." Crabbe shrugged.

"How do you know and why would I care?" Draco leaned back in his seat, giving the pair a slightly irritated look.

"Well you don't seem to be satisified with the girls in our school right now, I just thought it was interesting!" Crabbe said, sounding injured. "Anyways, I saw her on the train and she isn't ugly."

"Have you suddenly become the gossip king, or something? Honestly..." Draco shook his head and jumped out of the carriage as it pulled to a stop and he hurried inside the school, actually giving McGonagall a small smile as he walked inside the enchanted walls. There would soon be food and he would be in the company of the most powerful wizard of all time, for the time being Malfoy knew he wouldn't be seeing Lestrange soon.


	3. Chapter 3

_First Day of Sixth Year..._

Malfoy sat rather impatiently at the Slytherin table. All the bloody first years were looking so freakin' terrified… as they should be if they didn't hurry up doing the sorting. He was starving. Draco had lost all of his appetite after the Death Eaters paid him that kind visit the previous night and hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch. The warm buzz of excitement drew in comfort to the boy and now that he wasn't worried that dear old Auntie would pop up every five seconds, his stomach was prodding at him to eat. He sat grumpily through the Sorting Hat's song, tuning out the words completely- _blagh blagh blagh students must unite and stay together, Slytherin house is ambitious and Gryffindor are brave, pansy Hufflepuff took all the left over crap kids who weren't smart, brave, or cunning. Whatever,_ he had heard the same general idea five times previous and he didn't even look up when the hat finished, staring resolutely at the empty table instead and willing plates upon plates of food to appear. _God, why must they do the sorting like this? Ten new eleven year olds would be in each house, big fricken whoop…_

"Malfoy!" Crabbe elbowed Malfoy lightly, nudging him to look up.

"What?" Malfoy snapped.

"I think I see the new girl." He muttered in excitement, "Over there." Malfoy saw that his brain dead friend would not cease in bringing up this new person unless Malfoy indulged him, so he sighed and glanced in the direction he was gesturing. He caught sight of a girl who indeed did not look as if she were eleven.

"That's great, you've found her, I saw," Draco rolled his eyes, drumming his fingers against the table.

All the little kids were finally cleared off into there separate tables and Dumbledore made to stand up. Draco, used to the Headmaster saying just a word or two before the feast, instantly grabbed a fork and knife in preparation but he decided to show some respect and gave the Headmaster his gaze. Hey, if he was going to rely on the man to keep away the Death Eaters, Draco would be better off not insulting him before the year even began.

"We are starting yet another year at Hogwarts. To all those who are new, welcome. To all those who are returning, welcome back." Dumbledore said. Malfoy glanced at the table. Still nothing. "I know how hungry you all must be-" Draco got a small smile from Dumbledore at this point-"So I will try to keep this brief. This year, we have a new Professor, please welcome Professor Slughorn." –He paused to allow the school to applaud politely. "And we have a new student joining us who will not be going into first year. Rachel Mallory here is joining us from Onsdale Academy and will be starting in sixth year. I trust this will be a difficult position to be in, as few of you have started fresh midway through the seven year course at Hogwarts, and I know you will all help her feel welcome." Dumbledore smiled kindly at the girl, who rather looked like she was wishing she could sink into a corner and hide- she didn't seem pleased that Dumbledore had called the entire school's attention on her.

McGonagall gave a little nudge to the last student standing up, indicating for her to have a seat to be sorted. Draco peered at the girl with a bit more interest. He hadn't heard of Onsdale, and he did have a fair knowledge of the respectable schools in the area. So either she wasn't from Europe, highly unusual if that were the case, or her school was some grungy little shack. Sixth year, though, what a time to switch schools…

"Gryffindor!" the hat called after what seemed like an eternity. It did take longer than usual for the hat to make up its mind, and the girl had looked fairly agitated.

"It figures." Goyle sighed miserably. "Gryffindor. I guess that means we don't have any one new to go out with." Draco considered laughing that no one in Hogwarts had yet gone out with the goon, and no girl in their right mind would, but the food had finally popped up.

A good while later, Draco leaned back and wiped his mouth, feeling a good deal better. People were starting to leave the Hall and head to their dormitories. Draco looked at his cronies, but unsurprisingly they were both still stuffing their faces and probably wouldn't come up for air for another half hour, at least. With a snort, Draco recalled the year four feast, in which he had walked down into the Hall the next morning to find the two laying fast asleep at the table, their faces coated with pudding and their hands clutching their goblets.

Shaking his head and wondering how useful his friends would be against Death Eaters wanting to kill him, Malfoy told the pair that he'd see them later, to which he got a grunt and a squelched burp. Not too many people had left the Great Hall yet; Draco had a fairly small appetite even when he was ravished with hunger.

He strode through the ancient doors and was about to make his way to the Slytherin common room when something caused him to turn his head and go towards the flight of stairs that lead directly to the astronomy tower and that would be completely unused that night. Draco frowned in surprise as he saw a girl crouched on the bottom step, alone and silent.

"Lost or something?" Malfoy questioned. His curiosity and full belly put him in a good mood. "If you're in Slytherin I suppose I have to show you where to go-"

The girl had looked up and Malfoy realized she was the new girl going into sixth year that Dumbledore had introduced. "Gryffindor." Her voice was hoarse and almost too quiet to hear.

"Right then." Malfoy shrugged, starting to turn away. He'd never been one to give a rats about anyone else... With a sigh, though, Malfoy continued to prod. "I'm actually quite happy to go to bed now, so if you would stop slouching and get up I'll fetch Weasel-Bee or Granger to show you where to go."

The girl took a deep breath, and Malfoy, who had been carelessly glancing around to see if any Gryffindor had left yet, took a closer look at her. Her face looked tear-streaked and puffy. Malfoy was in an unusually chipper mood from the feast and the safety of being back here under Dumbledore's watch but that was hardly enough for him to play counsellor and ask what the prig was wrong with the girl. "Are you going to say something?"

"I wouldn't want to put you out," the girl said, her voice hard and clearly saying that she had detected the impatient and not exactly kind tone in Draco's voice.

"I'm not going to offer again. Do you want someone to show you where the bloody Gryffindor common room is?" Malfoy asked.

"I'm fine." She shook her head and drew in a bit closer to the stairs.

"Whatever. Suit yourself." Malfoy muttered, without wasting another second he turned and headed to his common room.

Malfoy woke at five am the next morning and realized to his amusement that Crabbe and Goyle's beds were still empty. Snape had rolled his eyes the year the two had been found drooling on the table the morning after the feast and had said something about making them sleep there every night if it happened again. Though that would be quite funny to witness, Malfoy remembered his father's urge to keep Crabbe and Goyle out of trouble, as their parents had ties that were beneficial to Lucius. Oh well, Draco thought, he was awake anyways…may as well check on the bumbling goons. If he didn't, there was a good chance he'd find them drowned in their pumpkin juice.

The sun had not risen yet so Malfoy grabbed his wand, said _lumos _and strode towards the Great Hall. The things he did for his friends, honestly…

On his walk there, Malfoy decided to turn in on the stairs again and saw to his surprise that the girl was still sitting there.

"What the bloody hell-" Malfoy exclaimed. "Oi! Are you planning to go to your blasted room anytime this year?"

"Leave me alone." She mumbled.

Malfoy rolled his eyes and smoothly took her arm and steered her towards another flight of stairs, and marched her up.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, snatching her arm away and stopping.

"Giving you a detention for wandering after hours and berating the people who were supposed to make sure no Newbies crawled around this school after hours." Malfoy sighed, "Now hurry up, if you don't walk yourself I'll levitate you-"

"Detention? You can't-" she protested, crossing her arms.

"Prefect. Yes I damn well can and you are bloody annoying!" Malfoy steered her a bit further until they were standing directly in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Hey, Potter!" Malfoy called in a whisper as he spotted the boy a few feet from them.

Harry turned; he had left the common room a moment ago to head to the washroom to wash his face, as he had been haunted with an unpleasant dream. The last person he expected to see was Malfoy in front of the Fat Lady.

"What are you doing here?" Harry frowned.

Malfoy gestured to the girl who was now giving him a thoroughly disgruntled and all around dirty glare. "Gryffindor. Found her huddled on a staircase. You people don't look after yourselves, much do you? Your friends are wonderful prefects. Here, steer her to her room, won't you?"

"And you are such an amazing prefect, leaving Parkinson with all the first years-" Harry rolled his eyes.

"Whatever scar face." Malfoy turned away. "And you, if I catch you lurking again I'm going to hex you."

"Oh go stick that wand of yours-" the girl vehemently responded, finishing her sentence in a mutter under her breath.

As Malfoy walked away, Harry turned to the girl. "I see you've met Malfoy. He's a right git, best to ignore him. Did he actually show you up here?"

"Show me? More like shoved me." She snorted.

"Surprised he would take you up here, rather uncharacteristically nice of him." Harry frowned.

"He wasn't nice." The girl stated. "Stupid prat gave me a detention."

"He's got a tendency to do that, be glad you weren't here last year, he was given the rights to take off house points, too. You know how that works, don't you?" Harry said.

"Not really. I was too embarrassed by Dumbledore's introduction to really hear much else." She flushed.

"Oh. Well, we have another three and a half hours before lessons starts, come on, let's get into the common room and I can explain some stuff." Harry grinned. "I'm Harry Potter, by the way."

"Alexa Mallory." She nodded back. As Harry said the password to the half-asleep Fat Lady, Rachel quickly and quietly muttered a spell to clear up her puffy eyes so that the boy wouldn't realize she had been crying once they reached the lighted common room.

"I thought Professor Dumbledore said your name was Rachel?" Harry questioned, settling into a comfortable looking sofa near the fireplace, and gesturing for her to sit beside him.

"Ugh. It is. But I can't stand it. Alexandra is my middle name," the girl answered, looking around the common room.

"Out of curiosity, why were you on a staircase at 5 am?" Harry ventured. "You couldn't possibly have gotten lost for that many hours."

"I wasn't lost." She admitted. "So, what year are you in?"

Knowing all too well the feeling of being prodded constantly about a topic you'd rather not talk about, Harry dropped it and answered, "Sixth." Was there actually someone in the wizarding world who didn't know all the basic facts about him?

"Cool." Alexa nodded. "So, have you been going here since first year?"

"Yeah." He said. "Okay, about the teachers, we've had the same ones every year except for Care of Magical Creatures and Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Are all of them hard-asses?" she questioned.

Harry laughed. "Eh, McGonagall who teaches Transfiguration and whose head of Gryffindor can be strict, but she's fair. Binns of History of Magic doesn't notice anything; honestly I haven't taken in a word he's said in five years. Snape, the Potions Master is…well; pretty much everyone outside of Slytherin, his own house, hates him, I'd steer clear of him if you can because he hates Gryffindors and I think people in general, slimy-" He cleared his throat. "Anyways, Trelawny of Divination is a fraud, but she's not that bad, just predict a bunch of painful things for yourself and she'll be happy. Hagrid, Care of Magical Creatures, is great, he was the one who told me I was a wizard and he's a great friend. Sometimes his, uh, choice in creatures is a little eccentric, but he's great. Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw and Charms professor, is pretty good, too, good-natured. And Slughorn is new this year so I wouldn't know too much but he seems a bit pompous from what I've seen. What NEWT courses are you taking?"

"My school was different than Hogwarts, it didn't offer as many courses, so I wasn't able to get the OWLs necessary to attend a few of the NEWT classes offered here. I'm taking the basics, Transfig, Potions, DADA, Divination, Charms."

"Divination? I'm guessing your teacher was an actual seer then?" Harry smiled.

"Yeah, she knew what she was doing." She agreed.

"So Dumbledore said you came from Onsdale Academy… where is that?" He asked. "You don't sound British."

"I'm not. Onsdale is a Canadian school." She told him. "I'm from North America."

"Whoa." Harry raised his eyebrows. "Why'd you move all the way to the UK?"

"Blagh, blagh a load of events really." She said evasively.

"I see. Where do you stay during vacation?" Harry asked.

"Here and there." She muttered. "I used to stay with my Aunt back in Onsdale days… I think I'm with my other Aunt now."

"You think?" he prodded.

Alexa gave an odd nervous laugh, "Heh. If she'll have me. Look, it's a long story and I'd really rather not bore you with it. So, where do you go during the summer?"

"My Aunt and Uncle's place. They can be right arses but the feeling of dislike is mutual." Harry grinned. "Sometimes I go to my friend Ron's place, he's a sixth year prefect here."

"Your Aunt and Uncle's place, huh?" she fiddled with her wand.

"Look, this school is pretty huge so you'd better find someone you know in every class and stick by them, it's quite easy to get lost. We get our schedules tomorrow at breakfast." Harry advised.

'Well I know a total of one person, two if you count being dragged by Blondie. Malfoy, did you say his name was?" she smiled.

"Yeah, he's a real prat. Don't worry, you'll probably make friends really quickly, the Gryffindor lot are decent people. Loads of fellow sixteen year olds to see."

"Actually, I'm 15. My old school did things differently, there were only 5 years and I had just finished year four. Professor Dumbledore thought that translated into the equivalents of five years here so he put me into sixth."

"Oh, right. Just 5 years? That must've been cramped."

"Yeah it wasn't a boarding school like this one but we had nine hour days and attended half days on Saturdays too. Not to mention break neck pace." She shook her head.

As Harry brushed his fringe out of his eyes, the girl spotted the thin scar on his forehead and curiously asked, "How did you get that scar?"

Harry thought his jaw would drop. She seriously didn't know. Deciding to let it remain that way and relishing in the fact that he wasn't being treated like some sort of celebrity for one of the rare times in the wizarding world, he murmured something about a curse gone wrong and changed the subject.

The two talked for a good while and by the time people started coming down, the girl felt a bit less like a Newbie and was much more in the know about the way things worked at the school. Not to mention the fact that she was warming up to Harry quite well and sincerely pleased that she had at least one friend. No one had seen her pathetic weepy self on the staircase except for Malfoy and he didn't seem to care much…No one had to know about her past.

When Seamus Finnigan strode down to the common room from his dorm to find the pair of them falling over each other with laughter, he couldn't help but smirk. "So that's where you ran off to so early. I was wondering why your bed was empty, you who always sleeps in. Way to flirt with the new girl before any of us get a chance!"

Alexa laughed as Harry turned slightly pink and threw a cushion at his friend. "I'm Seamus," he told the girl with a wink.

"Devilishly handsome. You were right, Harry, I thought you were exaggerating but no-" she laughed, her eyes twinkling.

Harry chuckled and shook his head, "Seamus, this is Alexa, or Rachel-"

"Alexa."

Just then more footsteps were heard and a fifth year Harry recognized groaned, "Geez. The famous Potter strikes again. Do you get everything, mate? The Boy Who Lived and entrances all the girls, leave some for the rest of us who don't have lightening bolts on our foreheads."

"That didn't sound bitter at all, missing your girlfriend now that she's dumped you, do you?" Hermione Granger rolled her eyes as she excited her dorm at the same moment. "I'm Hermione, and I'm a prefect if you have any questions."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Alexa Mallory." She smiled warmly but turned to the fifth year, cocking her head.

"Come on, we'd better get to breakfast. Ron is coming now, so we can get a move on." Harry gestured at the redhead striding down the stairs looking as if he had left his brain in his bed.

The lot of them made their way to the Great Hall, introducing Alexa to the various Hogwarts students they passed.

"That's Colin-" Harry pointed.

"Harry's one man fan club." Ron sniggered.

"And there's Justin-"

"An idiot who thought Harry was trying to kill him when he actually saved his life." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"As if you guys didn't." Harry shook his head.

"It's too bad you don't get to meet the Weasley Twins, Fred and George-" Harry said wistfully. "They're bloody brilliant in inventing pranks and stuff. They've even got their own joke shop. But they left last year. They're Ron's brothers."

"There's Ginny, Ron's sister." Hermione waved at the girl.

"She had a massive crush on Harry for years." Ron grinned.

"Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy's brain dead troll-like friends." Hermione said, her face scrunching as if something very unpleasant was placed under her nose.

The schedules were soon handed out and to her relief; Alexa found that she had Charms first with Hermione, Harry, and Neville. After that would come Potions with the whole trio. The afternoon held DADA with Harry, and then Divination. So far the last period was the only subject where she didn't have a friend with her.

The morning was great fun, though the trio nearly had a cow when they discovered Snape wasn't teaching Potions, but Slughorn was. Heading to the Hall for lunch, Ron and Harry were gaping at the girl.

"Did you see that potion? And those charms? You caught on faster than Hermione!" Ron exclaimed in awe.

"I was raised by a Potions Master and an Auror." She shrugged. "And I have a sort of weird hobby, I love reading up new spells and incantations in Charms."

"So you're good in DADA too? I think we have a second Hermione," Ron laughed. He quickly shut up upon catching the glare Hermione sent his way.

"Eh. Not really, I dropped History of Magic after my first year. Well, they kicked me out more like, I pretty much spent those hours there drooling on the desk and failing tests." She sheepishly admitted. "And I'm just glad we don't have to take dance classes here, god I have less coordination and grace than a duck in the mud."

"No one's good in History of Magic," Harry consoled. "I'm so glad we don't have to take it any more."

"Well, except for Hermione, of course," Ron smiled at the girl, obviously attempting to settle her temper. "She's good at everything. Brilliant. Should be a Ravenclaw."

"Oh stop sucking up Ronald I'm not mad at you," she rolled her eyes, though a pleased glow radiated from her.

The afternoon was a lot of fun as well; there couldn't have been a better first day for Alexa. After DADA, she had to suppress her glee and the bounce in her step after Harry praised her during the class. Even with a Professor she already seemed to hate teaching the subject, she still had loads of fun. Being raised by an Auror had placed her a few notches ahead of most of the class, and she and Harry were the only ones in which Snape could find nothing to criticize about, much to his displeasure.

"You've got to show me how you do that!" Harry gaped as with a flick of her arm, without even opening her mouth, she sent a force field wrapping around her and all the cushions within five feet of her flying across the room.

"Only if you show me how to do a corporal Patronus, I can't seem to get more than a wispy white smoke that disappears after just a second." She bargained, fighting the urge to laugh at the amazed look in his eyes.

"Look at Snape, he can't bear the fact that you already know how to do silent spells." Harry muttered, smirking at the tic that was forming on Snape's eye as he frowned at them.

"I'm trying wand less magic but it's friggin hard," she sighed, "Want to give it a try? You're the best DADA student I've ever met and I could use pointers."

"Sure. It'd probably be dead useful." He said thoughtfully. The two left the classroom as class ended and went their separate ways.

"I've got Divination." She told him.

"Ah. Free period." He grinned. "Have fun with Trelawny."

"She can't be that bad." Alexa said.

"Uh huh. I'll see you in the Great Hall." He shook his head and laughed as he strode in the opposite direction.

Still grinning from the unbelievable day that was better than she could have imagined, it took about three minutes for her to realize that she had no idea where the Divination classroom was. Harry was gone. Taking a look around her, she didn't see anyone familiar. Walking up to a random person she tapped them on the shoulder.

"Hi, do you know where the Divination room is-?" she asked.

"Nope, don't take it." The person shrugged apologetically, turning back to their friend.

Three tries later, she was starting to get desperate. Random guy #5. "Excuse me, do you know where Trelawny's Divination room is?"

The person turned around. Blondness. Lovely blondness. Pale, Sex God-y face. Must not melt…

"I don't take it but yeah, I do." He answered, giving her a once over. Upon hearing his voice, she suddenly realized whom she was talking to.

"Oh crap. It's you." She hadn't recognized him. Last night it had been too dark and she had been too preoccupied to get a good look at the wanker who dragged her up to the Gryffindor room but his voice was clearly that of Malfoy's. Damn though, jerk he may be, but a hot one.

"That's a rather nice welcome. Do I know you?" he said, a cross between a flirtatious smile, a confused frown, and an arrogant smirk on his face.

"You only pulled me up four flights of stairs at 5 AM." She rolled her eyes.

"What? You're the new girl?" he blinked. Obviously, she wasn't the only one who didn't see very well that night. He stared at her in disbelief and awe. "You look different. You clean up well."

Torn between disgust that the slimy jerk was so obviously checking her out and pleasure that a complete Sex God was hitting on her, she settled on raising her eyebrows. "Look, I'm late for Divination. Could you show me where it is?"

"This means you're Gryffindor, doesn't it?" he sighed.

"I'm in Gryffindor, yes." She nodded, "I'm late-so can you show me Trelawny's room?"

"Who in their right minds would talk Divination with that bat?" Malfoy shook his head.

"Even you don't like her?" she exclaimed. If both Harry and Malfoy were in agreement that she was a fraud, then she must be horrid. "I happen to like Divination."

"I don't have anything against the subject, hell I like it too, but the professor can't do shit in that subject. Which is why I'm with Firenze, instead."

"There are two Divination professors?" Alexa questioned.

"Oh yeah, but Trelawny is supposed to teach the sixth years, I go to Firenze anyways when he teaches the seventh years. Snape and Dumbledore don't care much."

"You take Divination with the seventh years?" she raised her eyebrows.

"It's much better than anything Trelawny could do."

"You can actually keep up?"

"I happen to be quite good in Divination," he said, somewhat defensively.

"Can you just show me the bloody room?" Alexa exasperatedly sighed.

"All right, fine. Actually, I was going there anyways, Firenze doesn't start until next week, he's been ill."

"You've made this long drawn out conversation when you're actually going there anyways?" she almost punched him. Instead, she looked around and demanded. "So where the fuck do we go? We must be twenty minutes late by now!"

The Divination room was a ten-minute/ walk up far too many stairs and by then half the class was over.

"You are such a git." She glared at him as they stood outside the door. Giving him one last dirty look, she opened the door.

"I showed you here didn't I." He whispered as he slipped into the heated room.

"You were coming here anyways, toad," she muttered back. The two shifted awkwardly as they saw that Trelawny's back was turned to them and the class was nearly silent as they were peering into their books. A few people looked up and smirked when they saw that Malfoy and Alexa were together, most notably Parvati and Lavender, both of whom had giggled upon seeing her with Harry earlier.

Malfoy cleared his throat impatiently and slung his book down on the nearest empty table, effectively causing the professor to turn around.

"Hello, hello, I knew you two would be late. Come on then, sit down, you'll be needing a partner in a few minutes," Trelawny gave a little nudge at Alexa and plopped her down beside Malfoy.

The class was completely boring and plain bad. Trelawny decided to recap on the things she had previously taught, then she assigned some lucrative task in which every partner in turn would read the first sentence in their text book out loud and their partner was to listen to the hidden subtext and tone and be able to decipher what the person was feeling. It was, all in all, stupid.

"You're feeling horny as hell for me," Malfoy concluded upon listening to the words she spoke. Alexa rolled her eyes and gestured for him to read, choosing to ignore the fact that she was just staring at how wonderfully full his lips were.

He read the same sentence and Alexa decided to give it a go. "You're tired, bored with Trelawny, and…you're feeling alone."

"Going for the tragic hero vibe? Try Potter." Malfoy laughed. She stared at him closely and saw that his eyes did have a slightly haunted look in them, as if the shutters were shut. They were emotionless and cold.

Class ended and Malfoy chose to talk to her as the two left the tower.

"You were right, Trelawny is a total fraud."

"Transfer out, I'll show you Firenze's forest room next week, he's pretty cool for a centaur."

"Centaur? We get to get taught by a centaur?" she gaped.

"I'm assuming you've made friends with the Gryffindor hero?"

"Hero?"

"Potty." Malfoy said.

"Do you two hate each other or something, honestly. You are a jerk and I swear to God if you leer at me one more time I'm going to hex all your beautiful blonde hair off."

"Beautiful, eh?" he flashed a grin. Muttering something under her breath, Alexa waved her wand and a moment later Malfoy was feeling the top of his head in horror. "What the hell! Bring it back! Bring it back!" his voice was panicked.

Laughing in spite of herself, she patted his back. "But you look so much more like the naked mole rat you are when your hair isn't in the way."

"Rachel, bring it back please good god woman-" his eyes darted around the hallway as he attempted to hide his head from view.

"I told you not to be such a sick jerk." She was thoroughly enjoying this. "You're really quite vain if you care this much-" She laughed and with another flick his hair was restored. "All right, all right, don't worry."

Relief seeped through his eyes as he felt the hair slip over his eyes again.

"Why didn't you hex me back?"

"I don't attack girls."

"I think I can handle myself." She raised her eyebrows. Sexist git who thinks girls can't take him… Kind of sweet and gentlemanly, in a superior, girls are weak kind of way. But by this time she had caught sight of Harry and Ron walking towards them. She grinned at them and turned to Malfoy, "See you later mole rat." Smirking at the look on his face, she turned and ran to meet Ron and Harry.

* * *

**A/N:** This is about the single longest chapter I've ever written for anything lol. This story will be a Draco/OC not a Draco/Hermione, sorry. 


	4. Chapter 4

Mallory found herself under heat for being seen talking to everyone's favourite Slytherin, as when she caught up with Ron and Harry they had both spotted her laughing with him.

"He's a dick weed and I cursed his hair off." She answered bluntly to their curiosity. "He has got to be one of the least helpful person in the world. I missed half of Divination because I was trying to get him to show me where to bloody go."

"A dick weed?" Harry laughed.

"A piece of unwanted and eternally loathed trash whose got his wand stuck up his ass. Damn, though, he's so funny to screw with, he had a panic attack when he found out he was bald!" Alexa snorted.

"At least you didn't miss anything in something important." Ron shrugged absentmindedly, evidently combing his eyes through the crowd in search of someone.

"Could you stop dissing something I like and find important?" she said snappishly. "Just because you didn't like it much and the one teacher you've had teach is a fraud doesn't mean the entire subject is useless garbage."

"All right, sorry." Ron answered reproachfully. Turning to Harry, he informed him, "Anyways, I've got to go, I've got a detention with Filch in a bit and I want to drop off my books first."

"See you." Harry waved.

"Does anybody here like Divination?" Mallory demanded in a disgruntled tone as the red head walked off.

"It's like you said, we've only ever been taught by a fraud. The only Gryffindors I know who like it are Lavender and Parvati." Harry replied.

"I've got a question for you." She faced him, "I was talking to Malfoy and he said something about you being a hero. He wasn't complimenting you or anything, it was just a bit of an off hand comment and he seemed to think it was common knowledge, what was he talking about?"

Harry looked at her in surprise. "Wait, have you ever heard my name before?"

"Before meeting you, you mean? Not really. I didn't really talk to anybody in the UK before you, as I only just flew into this country in time to board the train." She said.

"And you've never heard or read anything at all about me?" Harry clarified.

"No, I haven't. Why should I have?" she was frowning now.

"Never mind, it's a long story." Harry waved it off. He had been just thinking about how nice it was that she, at least, hadn't instantly looked for his scar the moment he introduced himself. Now he knew why… "So, in North America have you ever heard of the Dark Lord Voldemort?"

The lack of wincing, hissing, or any sign of discomfort pretty much told Harry his answer. "It sounds somewhat familiar…"

Harry sighed. He couldn't not tell her about the dark lord who was currently on the rampage. "Listen, don't make a thing of it, but he's an extremely powerful and evil wizard who's at large. And I guess it wouldn't be fair not to warn you, he's largely after me."

"…You're joking! Why?" her jaw was dropped.

"This is going to sound stupid if you've never heard of the things he done and if you've never known of this stuff before, but I'm part of a resistance against him. Even as the words leave my mouth, they sound stupid… Urg." Harry rubbed his face and tried to muddle through the basics of the death eaters and Voldemort's deeds. The end resulted in shock and huge embarrassment from Alexa.

"You must think I'm such a moron for not knowing any of this…" she said, her eyes still wide in horror from what he had told her.

"Don't treat me as a celebrity and I won't think anything fo the sort." He smiled. "So I guess Voldemort's news hasn't been talked about in North America? I thought it would be a wizard-wide story."

"There's probably some mention, but I wasn't alive for when he was around the first time and I was too distracted in my last few months in North America to notice much that went around me newspaper wise." She shrugged.

"I see." Harry commented.

The two talked a bit more as they went to the Great Hall, and then they met up with Hermione. The three of them were getting along extremely well, though Alexa and Ron never did become very good friends. Alexa had quickly developed a crush on Harry, though the news that he was a hero in this country blew her away and made her realize she'd have a lot to prove to him about herself. Though he did seem like he was impressed by a few of her abilities... It didn't matter, what mattered was she had developed a close friendship with two very nice people, one who happened to be a genius and another who was braver and kinder than anyone else she'd ever known.

* * *

**A Week (or something to that effect) Later**

"What the hell are you doing here?" Alexa snapped in a near yell. She had been walking around the grounds in the chilly weather for nearly a half hour when she had stopped by the lake and happened to see that Malfoy was walking nearby. The fact that it was six AM on a Saturday and no one else was around made Malfoy's appearance a big surprise for her.

"Look, I was just taking a walk." He said testily.

"You're looking extra pasty. What's up?" she glared, taking in his dishevelled appearance.

"My dad's a jack ass and I couldn't sleep." Malfoy smiled bitterly. "Why are _you_ wandering around so early?"

The fact that he had actually confessed what was bothering him pushed the girl off balance a little bit. "What happened with your dad?"

"It's a long story." He sighed. "Listen, I know you don't like me very much but I've just had a pissy few days and I don't have the energy to argue with you, so could we call a truce?"

"Wow, no snarl, no insult, it must have been bad." She raised her eyebrows.

"I'd rather not talk about it. So, why are you strolling around so early when the weather is pretty much a slap in the face?" Malfoy asked.

"Couldn't sleep, either." She shrugged. "Whatever we say right now is going to stay between us, right?"

"…Sure," Malfoy shrugged.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade?"

"That was random," he chuckled, "Probably. It's not a bad place and I can't wait to stretch my legs outside of this school."

"I guess everyone's going, then." She sighed, sounding put out.

"What, you're not?" he cocked an eyebrow.

"Didn't get my forms signed. Is it all day?"

"Yes. It's going to be bloody boring if you're here when we leave. Pretty much only the second and first years will be around." Malfoy smirked.

"Don't rub it in."

"So why are you telling me this?"

"Because I can't really talk to Harry, he'd offer to stay behind with me and I wouldn't be able to let myself let him stay, and then I'd spend all day by myself thinking about how I could've had company." She said sullenly. "And something is wrong with my mouth, I can't stop it from talking about trash to you. If you laugh at me, I swear I'll hex you til your ass falls off."

Malfoy laughed. "Testy, you are. So are you and Potty good friends?"

"Yes. He was the first person who talked to me in Hogwarts. I had skipped out of the feast early and he was the first student who said anything to me." She smiled.

"Actually, I was." Malfoy pointed out.

"What?" she asked.

"I showed you to the Gryffindor common room," he reminded her.

"Oh! Right, that was you!" she said. "But I wouldn't much count you dragging me upstairs in the dark talking to me."

"You know you thought I was sexy." Malfoy grinned.

"Can I ask you something?" Alexa asked him. "Okay, I know I just did, but would you mind if I asked you something?"

"Whatever." He answered noncommittally.

"Don't get pissy or offended, but I heard that your father's in Azkaban because he's a death eater… I was just curious about-" she started.

"Potter told you, didn't he?" Malfoy was steamed. "He had to open his big mouth and tell you everything that's wrong with me and my life. Malfoy's dad's in prison, oh isn't that friggin funny?" He turned away and started walking off, his entire demeanour changed.

"Draco, shut up, that's not what happened-" she exclaimed, grasping his arm. "I read about it in the paper, and I've never known anyone who actually personally was in deep contact with a supporter and I-"

"What, you wanted to ask what's it's like? Is my father a crazy murderous moron? Have I met You-Know-Who? What do you bloody want to know!" Malfoy yelled. "God, who brings something like that up I normal conversation?"

"I'm sorry, it was stupid." She retracted.

"Damn right it was." He snapped.

"How's your mom doing?" she asked tentatively.

"Why do you care?" snarled the blonde.

"Because we're the only ones who are strolling the grounds at the crack of dawn in the end of fall because we both couldn't sleep and I'm sorry for being a bitch to you for the first while." She answered.

"She's… Look, I don't want to talk about it. Didn't I say I didn't want to talk about it?" he sniped.

"It's not healthy to hold stuff like that in. It doesn't help, either." Alexa told him.

"Like you would have any idea." He shook his head.

"I get that you're upset and you've got problems but don't assume that I don't." she frowned, getting angry. "For your fucking information, the only damn reason I'm in this bloody school is because my uncle died and my aunt didn't want me in the house anymore so she shoved me to a different country. I was just wondering if your mom handled it better than my aunt did. But no, I've had a perfect life and don't know anything, do I?" Alexa bit out. Before he could answer she stalked off, shaking her head and muttering. "Why did I even bother talking to you? You're a selfish prick who doesn't care about anything."

The first Hogsmeade trip of the year came too soon for the girl's liking. Harry was surprised to find out that she wasn't attending.

"Why aren't you coming?" he frowned.

"Eh," she evasively muttered.

"You've got to come, you've never gone before, have you?" Hermione fervently said.

"I've… got homework to catch up on."

"Even Hermione's going," Harry pointed out, quickly smiling good-naturedly at Hermione so she wouldn't glare at him. "You can't have that much to do. We're in the same courses, and it's not so much that you can't take one day off."

"Loads of…" what class didn't they share? "Divination crap."

"The bat's tough." He shook his head, seeming to relent at last. "Come on, though, it's easy to just make up some stuff, Ron and I'll help you when we get back. Come on."

"Well, my forms aren't signed either. But it's fine. You go. Much to do here." She shook her head and gave the two a push out the door.

"Are you sure?" Hermione frowned.

"They're not signed? If that's the reason-" Harry brightened.

"Don't! Harry, you can't seriously be thinking of using those stupid things, I cant believe you haven't told the Headmaster yet, especially in these times!" Hermione interrupted him disapprovingly.

"But-" Harry started to protest.

"I'll see you guys later. Really, I wouldn't have gone anyways, I've got too much to do." She lied. Before another word could be spoken, she shut the doors to the Entrance Hall. Looking around at the school filled only with preteens now, Alexa sighed. She did have homework, but she was pretty efficient and she didn't have much homework that was due soon. There was nothing for it, though, and she decided to check out a few books from the library to keep her busy.

Twenty minutes later, she was holding four fairly hefty books in her arms as she walked towards her common room. On her way there, a voice called out to her.

"Don't fall over. God, how much do you read?" it was Malfoy. He came up behind her and promptly grabbed two of her books and carried them.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed. "Did you knock your head on something? Hogsmeade is going on right now."

"I know. Decided not to go. It gets a bit old after a while. It's boring here, though, because everyone our age is gone. Guess I'm stuck with you all day." He said, bored snarl on his face.

She was shocked. "You didn't stay to keep me company, did you?"

"What? Are you mad, woman?" he snorted. "Everyone else inhabiting this school is scared of me, so I'm going to hang with you, but don't get delusional."

"You didn't have to do this," she blinked, shock still wearing on her.

"So, where do you want these things?" he gestured at the books.

"I was going to the common room-" she said. "But I think I'd rather go outside now, it's not very cold today."

"I hope you don't plan to read all day. I have my limits." He told her haughtily.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure." She smiled.

As the two walked towards the exit, he added in an off hand way, "Oh, and I'm not always a prick. Just don't tell anyone. I can insult people pretty badly, but I didn't mean to be an ass earlier. The world sucks. I'm sure you're aunt's regretting what she did."

"Getting sentimental, are we?" Alexa couldn't help but jab.

"Shut up and walk." He snorted, though a small smile was threatening to emerge. "What were you going to do, anyways?"

"A little of Divination, and some reading." She answered.

"Ugh. I never do much for Trelawny. It's actually best to give in homework between two and four days late, she never docks off marks for tardiness but when you give it to her so late she just skims through it because she wants to give back all he homework to all the students at once, and she won't pay much attention and she'sll mark you a lot easier." He informed her. "I only just started that report on how our voices determine who we will become."

"I've been putting that one off too," shuddered the girl. "I hate her. I love Divination and she's completely screwing it up for me."

"Firenze will be back soon," he consoled her.

She gave him a smile, and for the moment, he forgot to snarl at her.


	5. Chapter 5

The two of them spent the better part of the day together. To the girl's amusement, Draco had tried to keep up the story that he was bored and begrudgingly hanging out with her for lack of better options. Three hours later, the two were talking as if they were actually friends as he had finally let go of trying to retain his ass-like reputation.

"I can't believe you missed Hogsmeade for me." She laughed as the two entered the Great Hall for lunch.

"I have no idea what you're rambling about," he said, trying to give her a haughty look. Against his will, the corner of his lip quirked up ever so slightly. "…Besides, I've been there too many times to count. It's not all it's hyped up to be, though you should really see it at least once."

"I told you, my forms aren't signed." She sighed.

"There are ways around that." He pointed out. At the look she gave him, he snorted. "Oh please, don't act as if you're some good rule-abiding girl. You hang with Potter – you've got to have a disregard for rules."

"Harry's not some delinquent." She raised her eyebrows.

"You obviously don't know him that well, then." He answered. "Well, I'll have to show you Hogsmeade one day. I can take you there on Christmas break, maybe."

"That sounds awesome! You're not kidding, are you?" she said.

"If you want to, I don't see why we shouldn't. No I'm not kidding you twit." He smiled.

The two paused as they stood in front of the four house tables. "I'll see you later, I suppose." He said finally, taking a step towards his Slytherin table.

"What? Too ashamed to be seen with me?" she followed him.

"What are you going on about now?" Draco asked.

She plopped herself down at his table and looked at him pointedly. "I'm not going to eat alone at my table like a loner. I don't see why we can't eat together at your table, unless you don't want your friends to see us together."

"I just thought you wouldn't want to eat with the Slytherins, that's all." He shook his head. "God, you read too much into things."

"Maybe it's because I'm new but I still don't understand why Gryffindors aren't supposed to be friendly with Slytherins, I mean the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs get along well enough." Rachel said thoughtfully.

Draco reached for a chicken leg across the table as he answered, "The two Houses are just two opposites. Gryffindor represents many of the things Slytherin is against and vice versa."

"You're against bravery, are you?" she snorted, helping herself to mashed potatoes.

"I'm against stupidity that is mistaken for bravery." He clarified.

"You're not a coward, I know that." She protested. "And I think the two houses are more similar than any of the others."

"Look. If you're in Gryffindor, it's like you're branded with a stamp on your forehead that says you are automatically expected to be good and up righteous and you can't do anything wrong. You're teachers pets, a goody-two-shoes." He listed off.

"You just said that Harry breaks rules, and yet you also said that he's pretty much the poster boy for everything Gryffindor represents. But your definition of what it is to be a Gryffindor contradicts that statement." She pointed out.

"No, he breaks rules for the 'greater good'. He's got this innate need to be a hero." Draco explained. "It's the most annoying thing in this blasted school, he's hero worshipped."

"Well, so are you!" Rachel chuckled.

"Excuse me?" he questioned.

"Please. If Harry is the beacon for Gryffindors, then it's obvious you are the leader of Slytherin. And everyone in this house follows you feverishly, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs have a revered fear for you, everyone knows your name. You can't hate him for being hero worshipped because you are too." Rachel said.

"I don't hate him for being hero worshipped, I hate him because he's Potter." He stated flatly.

"You articulated that really well." She said sarcastically.

"Why are we even talking about Potter?" Draco snorted.

"You aren't jealous of him, are you?"

"Jealous of that ass kissing do-gooding loser?" Draco actually let out a full guffaw at that. "Please. All right, I'm done eating. What do you want to do?"

"Ask you again why you're being so nice?" she said.

"Just because I'm in Slytherin I can't be nice?" he smiled.

"I just haven't seen it from you." She shrugged.

"I've got a question for you, then. Why are you hanging out with me you're your closest friends here are the Gryffindor trio?" he asked, real curiosity in his voice. "You realize Potty, Weasel-bee, and Granger hate me, right?"

"And so that means I can only be friends with people they approve of? I'm not that pathetic, Malfoy." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Is that what we are, then? I spend three hours with you and we're friends?" he said with a laugh.

"Why do you have to mock everything I say?" she said heatedly.

"It's in my nature," he sneered.

"Don't go and put that bastard cap back on, not after I've seen you without it." She said.

"Come on. We should get a start on Divination." Draco stood up and held out his hand to help her up.

"What are you? Jekyll and Hyde?" Rachel stared at the hand before finally taking it.

"Bastards can be gentlemen, too." He smirked.

"I don't get you." She shook her head.

"Not many people do." He gave her a sideways look before the two strode towards the library.

"Draco, are we friends, then?" Rachel asked him as the evening began to set in and the two had finally finished working on Divination.

"Don't read too much into it." He shrugged.

"Well, for what it's worth, I don't mind you."

"Thanks." He replied sarcastically. "Eh. You're fair at Divination."

"I wouldn't think you'd have a talent for it, but you're not bad yourself." She said thoughtfully.

"I'm not a dumb blonde you know." He snorted.

"Was this a one time thing?" Rachel said. "Like, are we never going to hang out after today?"

"We see each other everyday. I thought you didn't like me, anyways." He said, gesturing at his hair.

"You were a prat then." She said bluntly. "And I didn't like you. But maybe you're not so bad."

"Mhmm. Here, I'll walk you to the Hall but I think the others will be back soon." Draco said absentmindedly.

"Draco?" she said.

"What, Mallory?" he sighed in exasperation, turning to face her impatiently.

"I thought you hated Gryffindors?" she grinned.

"You're getting annoying." He said resentfully.

She patted his back condescendingly. "There there, you can't help it if you're attracted to me."

"Whatever puts you to sleep at night," he rolled his eyes. "And whatever deflects you from your sex fantasies of me."

"You do have a big head." She smirked.

"And _you're_ so insecure." Draco retorted. They were just outside the Great Hall now.

"Listen. Thanks for gracing me with your presence today. I would have been bored stiff. I know it was such a sacrifice spending time with a lowly Gryffindor such as myself, but I appreciate it. And if you're enough of a prat to want to keep this between us, I won't tell." She said, sardonically though simultaneously sincerely.

"Tell whomever you want. No one's going to believe you." Draco smirked. The sad thing was, both of them knew that was true.

"It's a sad day when you realize that no one would believe you capable of being kind to a Gryffindor for once." She rolled her eyes. He looked down at that point, giving a shrug.

"Despite anything you might say, I think you're a good person. Underneath your layer upon layer upon layer of harshness." Rachel stated. "So, was I just some charity case, today?"

"Do I look like the type who would do charity cases? I wouldn't have kept you company all day if I didn't find you bearable, now would I?" Draco sniffed, giving her a look that conveyed how he thought she was being moronic. "I'll see you around, Mallory."

She grinned. "Okay, so I have little to no back bone at this moment but I think this moment calls for it, as long as you swear not to hit me-"

"Hit you? I don't hit girls." He interjected.

"Yes, I remember." She rolled her eyes. "I could take you, in case you were thinking that it would be a vastly unfair and unbalanced fight, you'd be right because I could hurt you. Ugh, you got me off track. As I was saying, I had a good time today and you can argue all you want, you did give up Hogsmeade for me." And as he opened his mouth to snark at her, she suddenly gave him a hug. He stiffened. "This is the part where you hug me back, dick face." Draco awkwardly gave her a short pat on her back.

"Okay, get off me now…" he roughly muttered. She gave him a tight squeeze just to make him uncomfortable and then pulled back.

"See you later, Malfoy." She cheerfully chirped before walking to dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

"Alexa, hey!" Hermione greeted from Gryffindor table as the athletically built brunette (who had just smugly gotten a hug from an insanely good-looking Slytherin) strolled into the Hall. Alexa grinned as she spotted her friends. Ron and Harry were already working a dent into the plate of food in front of them, and Hermione had a partly eaten pastry in her hand.

"Oh, hi! You're back," Alexa said, aware she was stating the obvious.

Harry swallowed whatever it was that he was chewing on and beamed. "Almost fifteen minutes ago, actually. Where were you?"

"I do have other friends, you know." It might have come off as a bit defensive, so she threw in a playful nudge to his shoulder as she plunked down between Harry and Hermione. "How was Hogsmeade?"

"Forge showed us a few new inventions, and they had a nice blow out at Honeydukes." Ron told her.

"And I think Zonko's is going to merge with the Wheezes sometime soon. It's either that or risk having to shut down completely. A lot of their business is gone." Hermione said thoughtfully.

"We brought you some souvenirs," Harry piped up, handing over a bag.

"Oh, thanks guys, you really didn't have to." Alexa was delighted as she sifted through the sizable amount of candy and interesting-looking objects (probably from the joke shop).

"It was really too bad that you couldn't come." Harry shook his head.

"Oh, yeah. Harry's been ranting about how bad he felt for leaving you by yourself." Ron teased.

Harry laughed, though it was a bit forced. He shot Ron a look and hit him jokingly. "Shut up. It's not like she's been around here for very long. And she's never been there."

"So what did you end up doing all day? Done all that homework, I trust?" Hermione asked, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

"You didn't have to worry about me. I found things to do." She smiled.

They moved on to other topics, but as Alexa ate, she snuck a glance at the Slytherin table. Draco was laughing with some person beside him. She noticed that his grin didn't stretch to his eyes, which still looked rather unemotional. Damn, he was nice to look at. If only he'd be less cold.

"…dating Cho?" Alexa finally tore her eyes away from the blonde and caught the tail end of something Hermione was saying to Harry.

"That's dead." He sighed, giving a beautiful Ravenclaw girl (Cho, she supposed) a weary look. "And let's not go into an in-depth discussion of what went wrong there. I can't approach girls. I get it, 'Mione."

"Better than me, still. At least your dream date didn't look disgusted when you asked her out last year." Ron shuddered.

"I'd say you have the best record, Hermione. A champion asking you out?" Harry teased.

"Viktor was sweet. But we're just friends." She answered. "What about you, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Me?" Alexa whipped her head up, sensing the short silence that had fallen after the question. "Not at the moment. And since I know you'll ask this next, my last boyfriend was a jerk who dumped me for another girl, and my first true boyfriend was the sweetest guy I'd ever met- but he moved away." She had just finished stuffing the last of her cake in her mouth, and joined the others as they began to get up from the table.

Ron suddenly developed a mischievous gleam in his eyes that she was certain she didn't like, "And are you looking to rectify the single situation?"

"If my Prince comes and pins me against the wall to ravage me, who knows if I'll push him away?" Alexa smirked lightly. Hermione looked shocked at the comment but burst out with laughter. Harry, upon hearing the word 'ravage', minutely stumbled on his robe but recovered quickly. "Oh, loosen up boys, just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I don't think about it."

"It?" Ron was finding this highly amusing.

"You have your picture of Fleur Delacour from the Daily Prophet, I have my imagination." She wriggled her eyebrows mock-suggestively.

"Though I'm sure your brother will have an issue with sharing his girlfriend with the sexual fantasies of a hormonal teen." Hermione couldn't help but add. Harry snorted, though Ron was looking less and less amused by the minute and his ears turned red.

The next morning, Alexa woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep. Hermione was still soundly curled up in bed and the sun was just rising. She stretched and surrendered to the fact that she wouldn't be sleeping in this Sunday.

Her stomach was rumbling. Breakfast. Alexa quietly slipped out of the dorm and padded down the corridors into the Great Hall. It was completely empty, but there were the beginnings of breakfast food appearing on the tables. She was still partially asleep but a little bit of hash browns would at least make her stomach shut up.

"Hungry?" An amused voice broke her trance. The voice wasn't loud but in the silence of the empty room, it sounded painful. She spun around and spotted Draco standing right behind her.

"Don't pop up on me like that, God!" she swallowed, quickly pounding at her chest to make sure the hash browns went down properly.

"You look tired." He commented, sliding down beside her and snaking a piece of toast.

"Not all of us can look as composed as you do all the time." She rolled her eyes. It was true. He already had a cloak and handsome robes up underneath, his hair neat. He probably looked a hell of a lot better than she did at the current moment.

He smirked at the remark and took another bite of toast. "I wasn't saying anything bad about your appearance. I think you look cute."

"Bite me, Malfoy. I haven't even had a shower yet and I've barely touched breakfast, it's the crack of dawn, and you're expecting me to look like-" She ranted.

"Rough night?" he cocked an eyebrow.

"Couldn't sleep well." Alexa shrugged. "How the hell can you look like that first thing in the morning!"

"It's a gift." Draco grinned. He finished the toast and promptly stood up.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"For a walk," he called over his shoulder.

"I've barely had a bite!" she protested.

"Was I asking you to come with me?" he responded. But she scrambled up and sprinted to catch up to his long strides.

"It's a bit spooky sitting by yourself in such a large room." She muttered, uncomfortable with the humoured look on his face.

"Right." Draco nodded, opening the door for her. They were five feet out when he stopped dead.

"What?" she frowned, looking back at the Slytherin.

"You aren't wearing any shoes." Draco pointed out with an incredulous frown.

"We're walking on grass." Alexa shrugged.

"Wet grass." He said. On her look of indifference, he added, "Do you often walk around barefoot?"

"I don't really care." Alexa shrugged again and started walking.

He jogged a bit and appeared at her side. "Fruit."

"Says the one who smoothes, combs, and styles his hair at dawn." She snorted.

"We can't all look as naturally gorgeous as you, angel." Draco answered with a small smile. A small frown over took his features again. "You aren't cold, are you?" She had goose bumps.

"Fine." She brushed off.

"You're out here wearing a tank top." Draco said flatly. "What were you thinking?"

"You were the one who jumped out here." She said reproachfully. "And I'm fine."

"You're right. What was I thinking? Leading you out here barefoot with a tank top. If you die of pneumonia, it's going to be pinned on me." He was sounding self-absorbed but she could tell he was concerned. Without hesitating, he shrugged off his dark cloak and swung it around her bare shoulders.

"I said-" the sharp tone of her voice cut through the air like a knife.

"I know, you're fine. It'd make me feel better knowing you don't turn blue. I'm not carrying you to the Hospital Wing if you turn to ice." He said.

"Must you turn every thing that can be interpreted as an act of kindness into a selfish act?" she exclaimed in exasperation.

"Yes." He answered, just to piss her off.

"You are such a git." She grumbled.

"That stroke of imaginative cleverness just swept me away." He said sarcastically. "You wound me, really."

"Why am I talking to you?" she rolled her eyes.

"You followed me here, stalker." He said calmly.

"You are a complete dick weed." She blurted out.

"Well, at least you're getting more creative. I mean, honestly, git is so over used." Draco drawled. "Weasley usually calls me that. Dimwitted wanker, that one is. There was this one time in second year where he tried to curse me and it backfired on himself. He was throwing up slugs for the rest of the afternoon. I think that's one of my all time favourite Weasel moments. He gets so flustered so easily. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem if he could at least back that up with a bit of good sense, like Granger, or a bit of actual courage, like Potty. But no, I've often thought that he's the comic relief, the useless one in the Golden Trio."

Torn between laughing at Ron and defending him, an odd snigger blurted from her mouth. "Ron's…" her mouth twitched. "He's a good guy."

"He's a brainless, gutless-" He started.

"Annoyingly twitchy person who couldn't get an O if he did nothing but study all day for the rest of his life." She finished. Gasping at what she had let slip, she turned red.

"Well, I thought you were friends with him?" Malfoy raised an amused eyebrow.

"I am. I mean, that is…" she struggled to explain herself. "All right, so we don't get along very well. But I didn't mean to insult him."

"And here I was thinking you were all close with the trio." He actually looked somewhat impressed.

"Hermione is amazing, and Harry is the best, but…" she paused. "Why am I explaining myself to you?"

"I have that effect on people," he smirked. "You should probably go inside before you freeze. You're going to get my cloak all dirty…"

"Excuse me?" she gaped.

"You did say you hadn't showered yet," he pointed out.

"Ass hole!" she snapped.

"Temper, temper." Draco commented.

"You know, a thought has just entered my mind… why do Harry and Ron call you a Ferret?" she suddenly brought up.

Draco actually winced. His eyes darkened and he shook his head. "It was the doing of a crazy teacher."

"What happened?" she pressed.

"Never you mind." He snapped.

"Sensitive, Draco?" she asked innocently.

"I was turned into a ferret and threw against the wall in year five." He mumbled.

"Oh my God." She wasn't laughing, rather she was looking at him with concern, "Were you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah I was fine." He looked at her oddly. "No one's asked me that after hearing that story."

She merely shrugged. "Are you ever going to tell me about what happened with you dad?"

"How did this topic come up?" he muttered reproachfully. "I said I didn't want to talk about it and I meant it."

"Sorry." Mallory sighed.

"He was a Death Eater, killed some people, now he's locked up. Not much to say, now is there?" he grumbled.

"What about you?" she asked.

"What about me?" he knew where this was going and he didn't like it. "Am I a Death Eater, you ask? Being raised by one must mean I'm instantly a murderer, doesn't it? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. If you think I'm a Death Eater, I'd think you shouldn't be too close to me, after all, maybe it's contagious. I'll kill you as soon as look at you-" he was rambling angrily.

"Shut up, you idiot." She rolled her eyes.

"Stop interrupting me, woman!" he snapped.

"Whatever." She shook her head. "be the stereotypical Slytherin if you must." They had re-entered the school and she handed him back his cloak. "I was going to ask you if he had ever done anything to you, and if you were all right. After all, having a Death Eater for a father probably was painful for a person, and I was also wondering how you were feeling about the fact that your father got locked away. Stop trying to assume things, because I'll tell you now, you'll be wrong."

"You weren't-?" he started.

"No." she answered.

"Seriously? You haven't even wondered? Most people here think I'm a Death Eater." He said.

"First of all, no evil all powerful wizard is going to Dark Mark you when you're in Hogwarts. Second of all, just because your dad is one isn't grounds for shit, my dad was a cross-dressing doctor but I can't stand the sight of blood. Third of all, I don't know you well enough to have any grasp on who you are and what you are. Of course, you seem to think you know me well enough to go spouting crap you think I'm about to say. You don't me and I don't know you, so stop judging me!" Mallory hissed.

He looked taken aback. "And I thought you thought I was an ass hole?"

"You are one, undeniably. But 'selfish bastard' and 'evil, murdering follower of a sadistic psycho' aren't exactly synonymous." Mallory pointed out sardonically.

"You're more open minded than most others I've met." He said.

"Since a lot of your relatives are in the second category I mentioned, excuse me if I'm not surprised." She stated drolly. "I hate people who are prejudiced, and I like to think I'm not a total hypocrite."

"Scar face is prejudiced." He mentioned.

"From what I've heard, Harry doesn't like you because you've been horrible to him through the years. That's not prejudice." She rolled her eyes.

"Did you know I had originally offered him my friendship? He pretty much spat in my face and walked off Weasley. Why? Because I said I hoped to get into Slytherin house. Cue the oohing. Just because 'there wasn't a wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin' doesn't mean all wizards from my house are evil, of course I don't think Gryffindors know the difference between that!" he ranted.

"You're using a generalization, now. I happen to be a Gryffindor, and I happen to know the difference." She was looking rather peeved.

"Ah, but you don't like me much either, Mallory. And you yourself just said you didn't know me well enough to judge me. So where does that judgement come from? Stories you've heard from your Gryffindor friends?" Draco sneered.

"Almost everything you say is rude." She complained.

"That goes for you to. It isn't like Potty and Weasel are polite to me, either." Draco frowned. "They start things up against me as often as I do. It's not just self-defence for them."

"Maybe Ron does things to you, but I'm sure Harry isn't that much of an ass." Mallory defended.

"He's not some saint, you know." Malfoy glared.

"I know that! He's just got more civility to him. I don't feel like punching him every time I talk to him!" she exclaimed.

"That's because there's no passion between you two." He grinned.

"Excuse me? Are you saying that's what _we_ have?" she raised her eyebrows.

"What would you call it?" Malfoy asked lazily.

"All we do is argue, that's not passion, it's dislike, it's animosity, enmity, hostility-" she listed. Draco's smirk grew. In her angry rush to list all the words she could think of, she hadn't noticed the glint that had appeared in his eyes. He cut off her ramble with a compelling kiss that caused her to topple back wards in surprise. His hand automatically slipped to her back to catch her from her fall and he stepped forward a few steps so that she was against the wall. "What the hell did you just do, you perverted little creep?"

This was a really bad time for her to notice how stunningly gorgeous he was. The smirk was still playing on his lips but suddenly it made him look desirable in her eyes, instead of invoking disgust. She was not going to give in to her attraction to him. "Why the hell did you just kiss me?" His smirk developed into a smile and he leaned his head forward just an inch. His fingers found her chin and tilted her face upwards to him as he kissed her again, this time much softer. She managed to stop herself from kissing him back, instead placing her hands up and pushing him back from her.

"Stop it." She said tersely. "You really are sick, aren't you? We just spend our entire time together bickering, and you were pissed at me a moment ago, and now you're trying to make out with me. I have no idea what's going on in your head!"

"I'm attracted to you." He said simply.

"I don't like you!" she exclaimed.

"I don't like you much, either. I said I was attracted to you. There's a difference. And besides, it's often simpler when we don't actually like each other." He said thoughtfully.

"You're disgusting." She glared, crossing her arms as she took a few steps away from him.

"Deny it all you want, Mallory. You want me." His eyes were dancing with amusement.

"You're so bigoted," Alexa spat. "And I'm still talking to you. What is wrong with me? I have friends to meet."

"And I thought _we_ were friends, Rachel." He was smirking. Referencing her little compliment fishing from yesterday.

"Don't call me that." Alexa said.

"What, a friend, or Rachel?" he raised his eyebrows.

"You're having too much fun at my expense." She clenched her teeth.

"Go meet your Gryffindor friends, wouldn't want to keep the heroes waiting now, would we, honey?" Draco toyed with the hem of his cloak that he had slipped back on. He said the last word with a little bit of sarcasm, enough bite to be noticeable but not enough for her to make a comment back. "I'll be seeing you."

She rolled her eyes, remaining silent as she walked back into the Great Hall. Harry was the only one of the trio there. He was joking with Seamus. Alexa grabbed a bun and plastered it with butter.

"Hi, where were you?" Harry asked.

"Outside." She answered off handily. "I'm going to go shower. I'll see you later."

Harry watched her go, noting the slight flush of her skin from cold, and the stiff way she was carrying herself. "You went outside in that?"

"I've already been lectured, save it." Alexa replied, slightly snippily. She walked away from the table leaving behind a confused Harry and a still amused Draco who had just sat down at his table.

Oh yes, this was going to get intresting.


End file.
